China urges U.S. not to interfere in close cooperation with Sri Lanka

 

China has retaliated against US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland's statement that the terms extended by China to Sri Lanka for the opening of the International Monetary Fund's debt relief are insufficient.

In response to a question raised at a general press conference on Thursday (Feb.02), Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said that the US Undersecretary's statements did not reflect the truth.

During his recent visit to Sri Lanka, Nuland told reporters in Colombo that China's offer of financial guarantees for Sri Lanka was insufficient, and that the IMF should see a credible and specific guarantee that would match the global lender's standard for debt restructuring.

Moving forward with agreement Sri Lanka is currently awaiting board approval from the IMF in relation to the $2.9 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF).

Speaking further at the press conference, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson mentioned that the Export-Import Bank of China has already given a letter of support for Sri Lanka's debt sustainability.